Col des Chavannes — Giro ad anello

Nice, relaxed e-mountain bike tour over the Col des Chavannes. After we cycled the ultimate awesome tour yesterday, there was hardly any way to top it in the Aosta area. At my buddy's request, today it was to be an easier round. More in the S1 range than S2. For the inexperienced biker, the last two days were understandably quite exhausting. There are S1 trails in the area, but they cannot be properly combined to form a sensible tour. So we opted for the Col des Chavannes round, which is advertised here - mainly for hikers. Significantly less trail, more paved paths. At just under 50 kilometers long and 1600 meters in altitude, it is still a sporty tour (I had not recorded the distance from the starting point to the bike shop). We parked in Entrèves, just above Courmayeur. There are some free parking spaces right on the street. As we were about to set off, my gearshift lever system came loose from the handlebars. The fastening screw had become tangled somewhere on the ground and couldn't be found. It's a good thing that happened at the start and not somewhere in the middle of the tour! After several attempts at three different bike rental shops and their phone calls, we found the only bike mechanic in the area. Four kilometers away in Courmayeur. But he didn't have a suitable screw and had to adjust one with a saw and file. We were finally able to set off anyway, around 90 minutes late. The improvisation worked. Even though the gears regularly started moving on their own afterwards. So we started the tour around four kilometers below the starting point and unfortunately missed the first trail. A few kilometers of asphalt follow, you cycle up the mountain on a main road. Not very nice, but that's what you want. At some point you cross the nice, lively little town of La Thuile and finally get off the asphalt. A beautiful path leads up towards Mont Combe Varin, which we don't "climb", but whose flank marks the beginning of the beautiful phase of this tour. From here you ride on light gravel for many kilometers through the very beautiful valley of the Dora di Verney river. Accompanied on the left and right by the imposing steep flanks of the mountains, which are over 2700 meters high. The climb is moderate, so you have enough time to enjoy the landscape. At the end of the valley, the path leads upwards in the form of a serpentine. Shortly before the top of the pass, it turns into a single trail with S2 level. The top of the pass is 2600 m above sea level. The climb begins at 1000 meters above sea level. You cycle uphill without stopping. It's sporty. At the top of the pass, you have a really beautiful view of the 4000 meter high mountain range directly in front of Mont Blanc. Unfortunately, you can only see the snow-covered peak. The downhill on the hiking trail from the top of the pass is S3 for 100 meters in altitude, and S2 for another 200 meters below. We had to accept this section; without it, crossing the pass is not possible. After that, there are around three kilometers of S1 single trail. The Rifugio Elisabetta is also located in the valley. A mountain hut with a restaurant and terrace. From here you have a great view of the glacier and the pretty Lago Combal. The latter is not a lake, but a plain through which the original river flows in hundreds of different streams. A unique and fantastic landscape! It is exciting that the river gathers again further down and meanders further down in a turquoise-green glacial water garb. Crystal-clear water holes border the rushing river directly. The fact that the water does not mix here is a phenomenon. It is possible that it is clear spring water flowing into the colorful, wild river. The way down from here is unspectacular. You follow the river, which becomes increasingly wider and wilder, back down to Entrèves. First gravel, then asphalt. Today's route was quite easy to ride, with the exception of the short section from the pass down into the high valley. It includes very long sections on asphalt and gravel. The long valley through which you cycle up, the top of the pass and the area around the Rifugio are very beautiful. So you can definitely enjoy it - despite the asphalt.

Breathtaking scenery 🤩 Difficult descent from the Chavanne pass (you can push it)

Departure from the Du Parc campsite, between Morgex and Pre Saint Didier, an excellent base for several tours in the area. Climb on asphalt towards La Thuile, sweet and excellent for warming up the leg. Also because shortly after the town of La Thuile you turn right and you start to get serious. Always on asphalt with slopes between 12 and 15%. As soon as the dirt road begins, it settles at around 8-10%. Colle Chavannes is there waiting for you and you can clearly see it from the middle of the climb. From the hill the view is spectacular, from the Col della Seigne to the whole Val Veny through the Mont Blanc massif is an overdose of beauty. After the usual photos, it's time to get off. Very first stretch of rather complicated hairpin bends, better to proceed on foot, and then let yourself go shortly after on more flowing sections. Beware that some passages are quite exposed. After the Elisabetta refuge, the road widens and then becomes asphalted and then leads you to Courmayeur. You will be spoiled for choice for the ritual beer.

Ring route, starting from La Thuile, covering the entire Val Chavannes and Val Veny, returning to La Thuile. From La Thuile take the SS26 state road up to the deviation, just before Pont Serrand, which leads to Val Chavannes. The road to the Le Lapin farmhouse is asphalted, uphill and with a good slope. When you arrive at the farmhouse, the dirt road begins with its entrance into the valley. The piece of the valley, until just before the hairpin bends, climbs gradually and with a good bottom. The steepest part begins with the hairpin bends and the road surface is a bit slippery. It will be like this until you almost reach the hill. The view from the Col des Chavannes is worth the effort. From the Col des Chavannes there are two alternatives; the first is the descent to the right which quickly leads to the valley, towards the Elisabetta refuge (see route La Thuile-Col des Chavannes-Courmayeur-La Thuile: 22-08-2014). The first zigzag section is very steep and can be done with the bike on the shoulder or by hand, depending on the width of the path which varies from year to year as it winds on a stony ground. We met some cyclists who went down with e-bikes, but I don't know with what difficulty because the weight is much greater than a mountain bike. The second possibility, that of this route, is to take the path to the left of the Col des Chavannes which leads to the Col de la Seigne. This track is less steep, but the first piece is very narrow, slippery and crosses a steep stony ground. Apart from a few small final pieces, up to the Col de la Seigne is done with the bike on the shoulder and pushed. In my opinion highly not recommended for ebikes. We also had to cross a snowfield, but this obviously depends on the snow deposited in the winter season. From Col de la Seigne you quickly descend towards the Elisabetta refuge and then to the Miage lakes (smaller and smaller every year). From the Miage lakes begins the long descent, all asphalted, to Pré-Saint-Didier, from where the climb to La Thuile starts. Up to the Elisabetta refuge there are no water fountains, besides there are some.

Magnificent tour! Shortcut of the full tour from Courmayeur. The first part of the descent is not very rideable and exposed... the rest is pleasant and above all a magnificent view 🤩